Rustic Gate Creamery

Jenks

Jenks is full of destinations. Riverwalk Crossing. The Oklahoma Aquarium. The antiques district full of charming shops. The nearby restaurants and entertainment. Nestled in the heart of the antique shops on Main Street is a little ice cream shop that should be on your list of Jenks destinations. Rustic Gate Creamery looks a little bit like grandma’s house from the street. There’s a patio out front with seating for enjoying a nice afternoon, and a colorful ice cream cone sculpture just to make sure you know what you’re in for. Inside, Rustic Gate’s charm and nostalgia kick up a few notches. Glass jars filled with traditional and sugar cones sit atop the glass ice cream case amid a sweet array of flavored soda, PEZ dispensers, and gourmet jelly beans. A red and white striped awning at the back of the shop adds to the nostalgic feeling, while wood shelves full of candies you won’t find on grocery store shelves remind you of your youth. Or your grandmother’s youth in a few cases.

Sweet Spot

Jenks is full of destinations. Riverwalk Crossing. The Oklahoma Aquarium. The antiques district full of charming shops. The nearby restaurants and entertainment. Nestled in the heart of the antique shops on Main Street is a little ice cream shop that should be on your list of Jenks destinations.

Rustic Gate Creamery looks a little bit like grandma’s house from the street. There’s a patio out front with seating for enjoying a nice afternoon, and a colorful ice cream cone sculpture just to make sure you know what you’re in for. Inside, Rustic Gate’s charm and nostalgia kick up a few notches. Glass jars filled with traditional and sugar cones sit atop the glass ice cream case amid a sweet array of flavored soda, PEZ dispensers, and gourmet jelly beans. A red and white striped awning at the back of the shop adds to the nostalgic feeling, while wood shelves full of candies you won’t find on grocery store shelves remind you of your youth. Or your grandmother’s youth in a few cases.

Be sure to check out the candy selection while you’re there. Rustic Gate has shelves of packaged candy, and jars of bulk candy. (Photo: Chelsi Fisher)

“We try to stock stuff you can’t get at Walmart,” says Bud Croft, who co-owns Rustic Gate with his wife, Shannon. Croft, like so many affected by today’s economy, is working on his second career after being down-sized from a career as an IT program manager. “Instead of going back into corporate work, we decided to buy this location. It’s got a gingerbread look and the patio is cute. We thought ice cream and candy was perfect for this location.”

They opened Rustic Gate in January 2017, with an eye toward a family-oriented atmosphere.

Croft wanted a unique ice cream experience you couldn’t find in the area and settled on Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream for its creamy, rich quality and unique flavors. “Ashby’s is from Michigan,” Croft explains. “It’s basically the Braum’s of that area. Once you taste it, you’ll see the difference. All the cheese and dairy from up there is creamier. It’s like ice cream from the ‘50s. We wanted to be like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.”

Bud Croft (Photo: Chelsi Fisher)

Ashby’s starts with 14 percent butterfat for its ice creams, when the legal requirement is only 10 percent. “They don’t mix in any air. It’s dense, like homemade,” he says. “They don’t add in any whey or milk solids to make it go further.”

The result is a uniquely dense, creamy, and rich ice cream that must be experienced. But Ashby’s doesn’t stop there. They add the finest ingredients to create fun and unique flavors. Superman flavor is a kid’s favorite with its bright yellow lemon, strawberry red, and bubblegum blue — a fruity, sweet, and colorful treat. Moose Tracks is a creamy mix of vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and swirls of fudge. Cow Tippin’ is whimsically described as “fields of caramel-filled chocolate cows laying in sweet, vanilla ice cream, near a river of caramel.” It’s decadent and delicious with the caramel-filled chocolate cows adding texture and layers of flavor. Eskimo Kisses is a blend of coconut ice cream with chocolate truffles and fudge, while Rush Hour is coffee ice cream with chocolate covered coffee candy. O-O-Oreo is creamy vanilla mixed with Oreo cookies. The award-winning strawberry is a strawberry ice cream loaded with strawberry halves. Of course, Ashby’s brings it with their signature chocolate and signature vanilla, rich and creamy and dense.

A very popular choice at Rustic Gate is the Michigan Pothole — which Croft has renamed Oklahoma Pothole — that is a thick fudge ice cream with chunks of chocolate. It’s a decadent chocolaty treat, whether it’s in Michigan or Jenks.

“To the best of our knowledge, we’re the only local store [serving Ashby’s],” says Croft, making Rustic Gate a must-visit for these unique flavors.

While visiting Rustic Gate, be sure to try their Java Chiller. “It’s our own creation. We use coffee instead of milk in a milkshake. We throw in some Ghirardelli chocolate and mix it all up. Or we can make it with caramel.” If you prefer something more traditional in your ice cream drinks, Rustic Gate can make you your choice of old-fashioned malts, shakes, or floats, and they keep a drink fridge stocked with a collection of flavored sodas.

Be sure to check out the candy selection while you’re there. Rustic Gate has shelves of packaged candy, and jars of bulk candy. You can get yourself a bag of fruit slices or flavored gummy bears like the orange swirled Creamsicle.

“We use Albanese for the bulk candy,” says Croft. There are novelties like PEZ dispensers, Jelly Belly jelly beans in all the flavors you can imagine, and nostalgic favorites like Moon Pies, Goo Goo Clusters, and Chick-O-Stick. You can pick up some Pocky or grab yourself a Zero Bar while you’re there.

If you have an event coming up, Rustic Gate offers catering options. “We do shaved ice for events, and we can make to-go cups,” he says. Rustic Gate has catered real estate events, end-of-summer parties, grand opening events, church picnics, and more. If you want something sweet and cold for the guests at your next event, give Rustic Gate a call and let them set you up.

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